Borrowed Time
by Amethyst Blackquill
Summary: He went to the office on September 5th to mourn his late mentor. He had always kept her in the back of his mind, and kept her spot in the office spotless and clean. However, an unlikely visitor somehow knew where he'd be.


September the 5th. This was a day that made a certain defence attorney feel both nostalgic and sad. Every fifth of September, it would mark the death anniversary of his forever-friend and mentor, Mia Fey.

He had always enjoyed his time with her while he was alive. Phoenix Wright picked up on her court tendencies like slamming the desk, smug looks, and that infamous pointing finger that gave people mini heart attacks, especially those on the witness stand.

Today is September 5th, and it was at the office. In his wild career, many things have changed. But this office was one of the very few consistent factors. The office became his home away from home. Phoenix took his keys and unlocked the office. Then, he slowly opened the door and took a few steps inside.

The lawyer looked around the office. It's the same as it's always been, no matter who was in here, or what was going on in here. It's become his home away from home.

One area in the office, though, caught his eye. The reason why it did is because it corresponded with the date. That was his late mentor's space in the office. Phoenix made it a point that to commemorate his mentor that he wouldn't touch anything in her area, except if it was for cleaning. He wouldn't let ANYBODY touch Mia's stuff. Nobody at all. This included his two students, Athena and Apollo, even his adopted daughter Trucy.

Everyone seemed to respect his humble wish and went along with it, but most were unsure what was really the true significance in all this. All they knew was that Mia Fey was his mentor. That was it. Everyone has or had a teacher to guide them at some point, right?

However, to this man, she was more than just a lawyer. She was the person who acquitted him from the accusations of murder, she was the person who taught him everything he knew about being a lawyer, and most importantly...

She taught him what it means to be a defence attorney.

Using his eyes, Phoenix scanned everything in Mia's area of the office. The bookshelves, the desk, the chair behind the desk; everything. No stone unturned.

He sighed. He thought sorrowfully that it's been that much time since his mentor's death. He and the others were supposed to be on vacation, but he wanted this day to himself to mourn her.

 **Knock, Knock**

The sound of the door knocking startled Phoenix. What was even happening? Phoenix did put up signs that they wouldn't be taking clients for two weeks, unless someone is really asking for a lawyer. Or maybe it was those two again, or even his daughter.

 **Knock, Knock, Knock**

Three knocks, this time. Whoever it was, Phoenix wasn't really in the mood for them. So he decided to wait them out. Phoenix reeled back a bit, though, after realising that he was leaning on Mia's desk without thinking.

He mentally noted that if Mia was here, she'd be scolding him by now.

 **Knock, Knock, Knock, Knock**

The knocks were getting louder. Whoever was at the door was adamant on getting themselves into the office. There WAS a sign at the door that did say that the office was CLOSED. It clearly does not mean OPEN.

The lawyer was getting annoyed by this, though he's no stranger of strange things happening, by now. No stranger than dealing with fabulous-talking magicians, crazy surgeons, and country-side women with a vigilante mentality.

 **KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK**

It couldn't be considered knocks anymore. It was pounding. Was it a burglar? Was the person just angry? The lawyer sighed. He realised that this was just going to keep going until someone finally answered the door. What did they want, Phoenix asked himself.

The lawyer would answer his own question in a manner of seconds. He walked to the door, and then slowly opened it to see an angry woman who was red in the face while puffing her face. She looked to be wearing some unusual clothing. It looked like she was wearing a dress, but it looked special. In an instant, he recognised that clothing.

Before he could say anything, the woman in front of him exploded, "I KNEW YOU WERE HERE! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE SUCH A DORK?!"

 _"Earplugs... Need...earplugs..."_ He felt his ears ring, "...Hey, Maya..."

The spirit medium scowled, "Don't 'Hey Maya' me! Seriously! All these years, and this is how you greet me?!"

Phoenix frowned at her, "I can't honestly say I was expecting you, Maya. I wasn't expecting anybody at the office today. We're on vacation. Who told you that I was going to be here, anyway?"

Maya crossed her arms, and gave a smirk to him, "Oh, a certain birdie told me."

The blue-suit lawyer rolled his eyes. He can't believe it. It had to have been Trucy, Apollo, or Athena. One of those three. Edgeworth was another possibility, but it's not like he would take leisurely time on vacation often or be in the same place as Maya.

Maya giggled at him, "Never mind that. You look the same as always. Except that one piece of hair sticking out, Nick," She commented as she let herself in through the door and past Phoenix.

The lawyer sighed, "And you look...VERY different, to say the least."

Maya certainly has grown taller compared to the last time they saw each other. What wonders time can do. Phoenix wasn't particularly happy to see her again so suddenly, yet not sad either.

The spirit medium made herself at home on the couch. "Ah, this office also looks boring as always like you, Nick! Hey! Why are you here, anyway?"

"Oh, uh," He scratched the back of his head, as he closed the door to the office behind him, "Nothing special. Just felt like cleaning up."

"Oh really?" Maya asked in that tone that showed she does not believe him, "Then why do I see the place a bit dusty?"

Phoenix sighed, "I'm not talking, Maya."

"Then I'll have to make you talk! **TAKE THIS!** " The spirit-medium yelled as she presented to Phoenix a taste of his own medicine: The Magatama.

 _"Oh, for Pete's sake..."_ Phoenix looked up at the ceiling, feeling nostalgic again, but in a bad way this time. "Maya, why can't you ever stay out of my business?"

From Maya's view, she could see into his heart. A single lock appeared, and she felt determined to break it.

She giggled, "Silly you. I know the truth. You should know better than anyone that sooner or later your lies are gonna be exposed! Also, don't underestimate me. I DID do my fair share of training, after all."

Phoenix leered at her for the empty bragging he mostly knew for, "Okay then. If you know the truth, then you should have some evidence to counteract my lies to get to the truth. How about that? What could you possibly have to catch me lying?"

"Well... Does it have anything to do with this person?" Maya promptly presented a portrait of her older sister, Mia Fey.

Phoenix flinched a bit upon seeing that face of hers and before he could say anything, Maya giggled at him.

"I got you, now! And another thing: It wouldn't have to do with the date, would it? What day is it, September 5th?"

Phoenix gulped, "Okay, so what if it is? What does Mia and September 5th have to do with all this?"

Maya laughed sarcastically at Phoenix, "Silly goose! This is the death anniversary of her! You came here today on vacation to commemorate her memory, haven't you?"

Phoenix shook his head at the spirit medium, "How on Earth would you know something like that?"

Maya's look turned slightly stern, "It's because I was also there, you know. Remember? She's my sister, too. No way would I ever forget her. What kind of sister would I be to forget?"

Phoenix subconsciously scratched the left side of his cheek, "I guess you got a point there."

Then the lone lock shatters. It seemed to Maya that Phoenix Wright didn't want to have any further argument.

* * *

About a minute later, the pair was sitting down together on the couch.

"...It's okay if you miss my sister, Nick." Maya said in a soft tone that's unusual for Phoenix to hear from her.

The lawyer sighed, "I don't just miss Mia, Maya."

"Why's that?"

"...It's because I'm in love with her," The lawyer said in a tone of regret. So now what? There was no point in hiding things from Maya, especially when it came to her sister. He noticed that Mia was one of the things that Maya was genuinely serious about.

"I thought so," Maya said to Phoenix nonchalantly while having that smirk back on her face.

"What?" Phoenix asked in slight disbelief.

The spirit medium shrugged, "I mean, I kinda always knew that you had a bit of a crush on my sister. The way you regard her, it's like you genuinely respect her."

The lawyer scratched the right side of his head in confusion, "Well, if you knew about my feelings for Mia, why didn't you call me out sooner all those years ago?"

Maya looked up at the ceiling as she stretched out, "We had a lot of stuff going on, and it's not like it was any of my business until you told me."

" _Liar. You're a nosy girl, so I know you wanted to know. ...Did that even make any sense?"_ The lawyer sighed after thinking to himself that.

"But I'll let you in on a little secret, Nick." Maya said as she poked on the side of Phoenix's shoulder, "My sister had a lot of admirers, but they always got shot down one way or another. Also, they didn't really respect her the way you do."

That caught Phoenix's attention. It was a bit comforting for him to know that when it came to Mia, Maya was actually serious, "Really? How am I different?"

Maya rolled her eyes before continuing, "Well, her male admirers would often ask her for a date without even getting to know her properly first. Also, this one time I saw one guy stare at her butt."

Phoenix's face flushed red awash with awkwardness, "...Wow..."

Maya nodded, "Yup. So you know what I did when I saw him do that? I took out my slingshot, and shot a hard ball on the side of his head! He never saw it coming and didn't know it was me who did it, too!"

The lawyer felt surprised to be hearing all this about Mia. Wow, she had a way with men. "What about those who asked her on a date?"

The spirit medium waddled a finger in his face, "Hey. My sister's a smooth talker, don't you remember? Otherwise, how would she be able to be a defence attorney? She would use her feminine wiles to subtly reject them in a sneaky way! Darn, my sister was so cool back when she was still alive! I'm feeling so nostalgic!"

A drop of sweat fell from Phoenix's face, "You still haven't told me what I'm doing that shows you that I genuinely respect Mia."

Maya giggled a bit, "Well, for one thing, she was able to trust you with some of the secrets of our clan. It's not easy to gain her trust on just about anything, you know? You also gave my sister the respect she deserves as a top-notch lawyer. Also, even though my sister had to hold your hand through so many trials, you even had her admiring you. You two really kick butt in court! Like in that trial when I was framed for murder!"

" _She's saying that as if it's something normal that happens in her life. Does nothing phase her at all?"_ Phoenix thought as he leaked more sweat.

Maya twiddled her thumbs for a bit before laughing nervously, "So, um, Nick. I actually wanted to tell you that... I've been talking with my sister lately through my dreams."

"Y-Yeah?"

She nodded, "Yeah. Also, you're not going to believe this, but... She said many times throughout my training that she missed being at your side in court."

He lowered his head, "I miss her, too..." He said in a depressed manner.

Maya gently elbowed Phoenix on his arm, "Hey. Chin up. My sister would say to you that it's important to smile even when things go bad. Nick, I gotta go to the bathroom. I'll only be a minute."

"Sure... Take your time," Phoenix said, not looking back at her.

Maya got up and exited the office while still leaving the door opened.

Phoenix, in the meantime, slowly got up to his desk and sat down on the chair behind it. Around the centre of the desk, stood a picture frame of her, Mia Fey. He slowly went and grabbed for it.

He missed seeing that smile that she made. Whenever he saw her smile, he felt reassured, that everything would be okay. Surely enough, every time he saw her smile, everything WOULD turn out okay at the end.

He began to talk at the picture, as if he's directly talking to her, "Mia... Sometimes I ask myself if I'll ever see you again in this world. Sometimes, I would see you in my dreams, too. You would always tell me to smile, to never give up a case even when it seems hopeless, and to always possess that passion of getting to the truth, no matter what it takes."

He sighed before continuing,

"Mia... I realised too late, and now will never get to tell you... That I've fallen in love with you..."

Suddenly, a familiar mature-sounding voice sounded, "Really, now? Well, here's your chance to finally tell me, Phoenix."

The lawyer's eyes popped as his head reflexively jerked upwards in the direction of where he heard the voice. Surely enough, he saw "her". That physiology, that mole, and that shape of her face.

He was almost certain he was dreaming, but surely enough, she was there.

"M-MIA FEY!"

An insidious smile was plastered on the woman's face, "Yes, Phoenix. That is my name. The years have not been kind, has it?" She giggled at him.

Phoenix's face was so red that he felt like he was about to faint from the sudden excitement of seeing her again, even though it was still technically Maya's body, everything else belonged to Mia Fey.

He stood up from the desk, feeling wobbly on his feet, "U-U-Uh, M-Mia! U-Uh, I'm not even sure... WHAT TO SAY!"

Mia put an index finger to her lips, "Shh... Take it down a decibel, Phoenix."

* * *

A few moments later, the two of them were sitting down at the couch again, with Phoenix regaining his composure.

The lawyer went first, "M-Mia... I... I don't know what to say or where to start."

Mia took a moment to observe how her body fits better in Maya's now-bigger clothes. Well, it was only to be expected since she has grown a bit. She took a moment to think about what she should say to him to get him started, "Well, Phoenix. Why don't you start by telling me about what's been going on since we last met?"

He nodded at her, "Got it, Mia."

Then, he told his tale. He told about how this office evolved, and how he took in two students and a daughter. He told Mia about his disbarment and his temporary life as a poker player before taking the bar exam again to become a lawyer.

Throughout that time, his old mentor nodded and stayed quiet.

"...And that's pretty much all that has happened so far," Phoenix said with a sigh.

Mia nodded one more time, "I see, Phoenix. It seems as though you've endured quite a bit of turmoil since I was gone, but wow. A daughter? So if you're the adopted father, who's her mother?"

Phoenix squawked at her as he said to her, "I already told you, I'm single."

She grinned at him insidiously, "Of course you are, Phoenix," She said with sarcasm in her voice, "I just wanted to hear you say 'I'm single'.

Phoenix blushed slightly, "Huh? U-Uh, why?"

Mia couldn't resist laughing at this point, "Phoenix, do you really need this to be spelled out for you? Rather, don't you remember the date we were supposed to have before I kicked the bucket?"

Phoenix blushed harder, "A-A-A-A...date?! What date?!" He didn't remember being a couple with Mia while she was still alive.

Mia almost couldn't breathe because she was laughing too hard. The former defence attorney was having a hard time keeping her face straight, and her cheeks were starting to hurt from these excessive amounts of laughter. "Phoenix, I don't blame you if you don't exactly remember, but you were supposed to tell me about your friend Gary."

Phoenix tilted his head in confusion, "Gary?" He felt his brain snap from realising who she was taking about, "Oh! I get it! You mean, Larry!"

Mia snapped her fingers, "Yes, Harry! That one! The one who you got acquitted in your first trial!"

" _Strike two, Mia... You got his name wrong again..."_ Phoenix groaned in his mind as drops of sweat fell down his face.

The former defence attorney glanced upward, "It's strange, though. I had plenty of chances to ask you about your reason on being a defence attorney. I have to wonder why I didn't take those chances before when we had some downtime. Come to think of it, I think this is the first time I've been summoned just to spend time with you rather than spend time solving a case. It feels funny, but it's obviously nicer."

Phoenix chuckled a bit, "Yeah, I hear you. By the way, Maya somehow knew where I would be and she showed up unexpectedly."

Mia giggled at him, "Unexpected? Shouldn't be. Both she and I knew where you'd be every September 5th. You just can't let me go, can you?"

Again, Phoenix blushed. She sure had a way with words to put him on edge, "Th-That's... I can't imagine this office without the things that resemble the person who you once were while you were still alive, so..."

The former brunette's giggling turned into laughing, "Oh, Phoenix, you must be so dense in the head that you don't have a sense of humour."

Phoenix rolled his eyes.

"But..." She stopped laughing and cleared her throat, "...thank you, Phoenix, for continuing to take care of my stuff all these years. You didn't have to do that. Really, you shouldn't have," Mia said as she shook her head in admiration at him.

The defence attorney smiled at his mentor as he looked her in the eye, "You were my mentor and my friend forever, Mia. I wanted you to see that I still respect you for the lawyer and the woman you once were. No matter what I may forget, I'll never forget what it means to be a defence attorney, the power of truth. What you taught me..."

She looked straight into his eyes with warmth from her heart, "Phoenix..."

The two of them just realised that their faces were moderately closed to one another. The two of them had their faces slightly red. Both of them were simultaneously thinking when the last time they were this close together was. Phoenix kept looking over at Mia for what to do, and she slowly nodded her head.

The two of them slowly started to close their eyes, as they lean their faces forward into each other for a kiss...

Suddenly, Phoenix's eyes shot wide open, and he yanked himself away while shrieking.

"Phoenix? What's wrong?" Mia asked, startled by Phoenix's sudden retreat.

The royal blue suit attorney panted for a bit before catching his breath, "I j-just had a thought. Y-you're technically in Maya's body. I-If we kiss, am I kissing you or kissing Maya?"

Mia fell silent for a moment. She honestly never thought about that technical question until now. She was quite unhappy that a question like that was brought up, but she could not deny the validity of it. She was just borrowing this body form Maya, after all. "Hmm... Good question. Tell you what, I'll think about it, and then I'll give you an answer by the end of the day, alright?"

The attorney quickly nodded his head, "Y-Yeah. Thanks. Also, sorry..."

Mia softly curved a smile at Phoenix, "Don't worry about it. Now then, we should get going."

He blinked a few times, "What are you talking about? Where are we going?"

She giggled, "Why, on our date of course! Dinner at the fancy restaurant in town! I'll pay for everything, Phoenix. Don't worry."

Phoenix's jaw dropped a bit, "H-How are you going to be able to do that?"

"I'm a woman. We tend to be unpredictable," After saying that, she winked.

Phoenix rolled his eyes at her again. That quirkiness was _certainly_ making him feel nostalgic.

* * *

After a few minutes, Phoenix and Mia looked to be finally prepared for their date for the day in the city. They were currently at a fine dining restaurant on the other side of the city, sitting at opposite ends of the table from one another.

Phoenix couldn't help but stare at his former mentor. She managed to don that old outfit she was wearing the last time he saw her. It gave him the chills to even think about that night when he discovered her dead body in the very interior of this office.

Mia scratched her neck a few times, "I had forgotten how tight this outfit was. But since I'm going to be in this body for a day, I might as well wear what suits me best. Don't worry about it, though, I'll change back when I leave. Okay, Phoenix?" After asking that question, she gave a slight giggle.

He leered at her with a frown of awkwardness, "I didn't say anything, Mia." Phoenix observed Mia's visible upper-body in her old outfit making that vintage pose of while crossing her arms underneath her breasts. She also had that smile on as he looked at her face... "Um, I don't know why I'm always thinking this, but to tell you the truth, you look so beautiful when you smile, Mia. It's...nice..."

The blue-suit attorney stared deeper at those lips curved perfectly into a smile. That smile of hers was something that always made him feel comfortable and soothed.

The former brunette nodded, "Thank you, Phoenix. I've always said it, didn't I? It's important to continue to smile, even when all the odds are stacked against you. Never lose heart to do that, Phoenix. Ever."

Phoenix shook his head at her, "Y-Yes, of course. I guess that's part of the reason, but I still have a lot of questions I want to ask. Even though she knew that today is your death anniversary, Maya still showed up out of nowhere. She didn't call or write to me, telling me that she'd be back over here today. It's bit odd. Even though she said a 'birdie told me', that doesn't really answer my question of how she knew. All I know is that someone told her."

Mia sighed as she smirked at him, "You're looking at the birdie who told her."

"Say what?!" Phoenix exclaimed while going wide-eyed.

"I wanted to surprise you today, Phoenix," Mia explained. "I know you, Phoenix. Every single September 5th, you'd make sure that my spot in the office was still looking spotless, even though I couldn't sit in that chair anymore. I can't tell you how much it means to me, Phoenix. You never forgot about me."

"Of course I'd never forget you, Mia," Phoenix spoke in a low voice, "I've always had a lot of respect for you."

Mia leaned forward and put her folded arms on the table, "Phoenix. I want you to tell me now: What made you want to become a lawyer. It's the one thing that you never told me before I died, and still haven't up to this point."

The attorney nodded eagerly, "O-Of course!"

He cleared his throat, and then he began... "It started when I was in Elementary School. I still remember it as if it happened yesterday... I was in the fourth grade at the time it happened. This was the single event that changed my life forever. One day, during P.E, Edgeworth's envelope of $38 dollars was stolen. Seems absurd today, but it was a big deal back then. This Elementary School made us bring in envelopes of money to pay for our lunches."

Mia widened her eyes slightly, "You knew Edgeworth even in Elementary School?"

Phoenix nodded, "Yeah. My life somehow always gets drawn back to that man. Anyway, I came down with a cold, so I skipped P.E that day. I was the only one without an alibi for the stolen envelope. On the next day, I was accused and...I guess you can say, 'put on trial'."

Mia silently nodded.

He continued accordingly, "I wasn't the most social kid in the class, and I didn't really have any friends despite having so many classmates. But on that moment, the pressure felt so much on me. I felt truly alone with nobody on my side. They were all screaming for my head to replace the money, even though I really never did it. Even the teacher demanded I apologise and replace Edgeworth's money. There was no escape from it all from me. I was trapped in the classroom with everyone calling me out. It was the most helpless feeling I've ever experienced as a kid until..."

Mia lifted her head slightly, thinking that this is the moment in the story in which things turned around.

Phoenix continued to talk with slight shivers in his voice, "Someone yelled, ' **Objection!'.** Everyone, including me, looked over and saw that ironically, Edgeworth stood up and...pointed that index finger in my defence. He said to everyone that they have no evidence that I did it, which was true, so they couldn't convict me for the crime. But the others weren't going to settle for that. They thought that since the majority says I did it, I was guilty. However, a second boy stood up for me. That boy was Larry Butz, the person who I defended in my very first trial. He told them all that they were ganging up on me like a bunch of cowards, and didn't consider how I felt at all. He told them all to 'shut up', which made me shudder. Eventually, everyone gave up and the teacher just decided to replace the money herself. I was also found not guilty of the crime."

Mia was slowly nodding her head with her eyes closed, taking in all that she was hearing from Phoenix.

Phoenix took a moment to catch his breath before continuing, "I...was touched, to say the least. Nobody has ever stuck up for me like that before. I became close friend with Edgeworth and Larry after that. I asked him why he defended me, and he said that his inspiration to become a defence attorney came from his father, who was also one. From there, I became inspired too. I wanted to be the one who helped people who felt that same feeling of helplessness I was feeling at that time, when nobody was on their side. Of course, this was how we felt at the time. Look at us now. We're eternal rivals in the courtroom; defence attorney and prosecutor. Or, at least that's what Maya says. Anyway, that first trial I had as a defence attorney was me returning the favour that Larry did for me. In that trial against Manfred Von Karma, it was my turn to defend the man who inspired me to pursue my profession despite how much he told me not to defend him. I guess you can say, 'What goes around comes around.'" He paused for a moment, and then finally said, "And that's the end of my story."

The former brunette slowly opened her eyes, and her look was rather stern, "I see... That's not a bad reason at all. That takes me back to another thing I told you, Phoenix. You have the most important weapon in the world at your disposal: Friendship. Even back then, you had people you could consider your friends at the time. Few friends truly stick together throughout life, but the ones that do are considered true best friends. I can see why you feel indebted to both Edgeworth and Barry."

 _"You are STILL GETTING HIS NAME WRONG!"_ Phoenix cleared his throat, "Y-Yeah... I'm still annoyed at Larry and Edgeworth for keeping quiet about the real culprit of the money, though. It turns out that after that DL-6 trial, Larry 'confessed' to the crime. Seriously, it's ironic that the boy who caused me a lot of pain turned out to be one of my best friends."

Mia giggled at him, "But if wasn't for him, Edgeworth would never have stuck up for you at the time and inspired you to become a defence attorney!"

Phoenix raised an index finger at her, "B-But, I-URGH! Fine!"

She giggled once more at him while shaking her head, "You really do attract the most interesting crowds. But you still haven't said what you also wanted to say to me before,"

He raised an eyebrow at her, "What's that?"

Mia was honestly feeling flustered at this point. She can't remember any man who has ever made her laugh this much just from being himself. "You're hopeless. It's what you feel for me. Didn't you say you wish you could say for what you really do feel for me as you stared at my picture?"

Phoenix felt his brain click after that and felt his face flush a bit red at the same time, "O-Oh! O-Of course." He gathered himself and cleared his throat, "Um... Mia...?" He took a deep breath again and decided to just say it, "...I love you, Mia."

The former brunette smirked at him while feeling a bit red in the face herself, "Now was that so hard to say once you told yourself to just say it?"

"N-No..." The attorney said, still red as well.

The former brunette's expression turned into a sincere and loving gaze, "You're still such a clumsy guy... But, I've always liked that about you, Phoenix. ...I love you, too."

After she said that, the rest of the dinner went silent. They continue to look at each other as they slowly ate away at their food. Though, they both thought that enough words were said.

* * *

It was nighttime, and they returned to their old workplace while holding hands together. It was a long walk from the restaurant back to the office in total silence.

Phoenix gently released his hand from Mia's, and took a few more steps ahead of her inside, "Wow... That was such a beautiful place to eat and to have a date. But it wasn't as beautiful as you were, Mia. I seriously wish that we could go out again on a date like this, soon..." He lowered his head somberly, knowing that this day went by too quick.

Mia was unhappy that the day was over as well, and that Maya would have to get her body back, soon. "Phoenix. Don't be said that it's over. Just be happy that what you thought wasn't going to happen, did happen. Also be happy that you'll have the memory to keep forever, and nobody but yourself can take that memory away from you. Phoenix, I also want you to remember something else... It was that time when I wrote a note for Maya after you got Reed White convicted."

The lawyer thought about it for a moment, and then said, "Oh yeah... According to Maya, you wrote 'Take care of Phoenix'."

"She didn't tell you EVERYTHING I wrote on the note, though," The former brunette said sternly at him, "I told Maya to store the letter in the 'P' section of my files. Since you have been taking care of my things, it's time I gave you a reward." Mia walked behind her desk, and looked through her shelves of files. "I am going to read to you everything I wrote on that letter all those years ago. Maya only read what I instructed her to tell you what was seemingly on that letter. What I really wrote remained unsaid until now. Phoenix... Are you ready for me to read it?"

"S-Sure..." Phoenix replied nervously. He had no idea what to expect at this point. He knew that there was a letter written for him by Mia, but she purposefully deceived him all this time about the letter?

Slowly, Mia eyed an old piece of paper that was the letter she wrote Phoenix a long time ago. She felt a chill run down her spine just seeing it again. What she wrote on it... Was how she really felt about Phoenix Wright all this time. She glanced at the old words she wrote, and then averted it to Phoenix. "Ready?"

He only nodded, which gave her the signal to read it out loud...

* * *

Mia finally finished reading her own letter while standing close in front of Phoenix.

After taking hearing her say all that, and taking it in, word for word, Phoenix couldn't contain himself. His eyes started to yield tears. He wondered why fate had to be so cruel and tear them apart before their feelings could blossom properly while she was still alive.

He started sobbing. He couldn't hold himself back anymore. Phoenix was too overcome with emotion to not start crying. He slowly fell to his knees on the floor, sobbing while his tears fell onto the floor from his face looking downwards at the ground.

The woman he loved long ago loved him back, and only around this time could she return to him from her sister channeling her spirit to borrow a day to spend time with him.

Mia gently laid the letter down on the table, and slowly lowered herself down to the floor. She gently used both hands to move Phoenix's head so that it faced directly at her own. "Phoenix... Look at me..."

He sniveled for a few moments while directly looking up at Mia's face as he felt the cool touch of her hands on his face, "Mia... I... I don't want to forget... I don't ever want to forget any more things that happen between us..." He grabbed Mia's hands and held them firmly with his own, still looking up directly at her, "I will love you always, Mia... I promise you'll be in my memories forever. I'll always remember the day that we met, what you said to me about being a lawyer, and being a better person... There's so much I want to say to you right now, Mia, but I just..."

Mia interrupted him by placing her hands on his cheeks, and then saying, "Phoenix... Be quiet for a moment..."

She leaned her face in while closing her eyes, and then met Phoenix's lips with her own soft set, silencing him. Phoenix's eyes went a mile-wide for the duration of the kiss that lasted a few seconds, before Mia pulled away.

"M-Mia...?"

She nodded her head, "I found my answer. Phoenix... Even though I'm borrowing this body from Maya, I'm still the one you are kissing, Phoenix."

"Are you sure, Mia...?" Phoenix asked like a curious child.

Mia nodded again, "Yes, Phoenix... I think that you can make an exception this one time so that we can make more unforgettable memories together before our time is up."

Phoenix fell silent for a moment, before... "I understand... I trust you got that covered, Mia."

She smiled at him, "Of course, Phoenix..."

The two of them leaned in again while closing their eyes to share another tender kiss between their lips as they firmly embraced each other while knelt down on the floor of their office together.

* * *

The next morning, Phoenix came back to the office again. It was around the same time as it was when he came around yesterday on September 6th. To think that the previous day he lived what would quite possibly be the most unforgettable day of his life with tales, love, and kisses were shared.

He came back because he forgot to get something: That letter.

Phoenix was so caught up in the moment of saying goodbye to Mia that he accidently left it behind. It was still lying there, gently on the desk.

He had no idea what to do with it, though. Was he supposed to just leave it alone? Was he supposed to put it back?

...Since it was read to him by Mia, he thought that maybe he could keep it for now, and then have it also be a memory to look back on, or the evidence that backs up the claim that Mia loves Phoenix.

He didn't want to stay in here for too long, though. However, Phoenix felt a need to read that letter himself one more time before leaving the office to enjoy the rest of his vacation with his daughter, and two students.

* * *

 _Dear Maya,_

 _Thanks to your help, I was able to get Phoenix the final push he needed to win that trial once and for all and avenge me._

 _I'm asking you a favour to do for me, but first, I'd like to tell you more about Phoenix._

 _I first met Phoenix Wright when I defended him in court for a crime he didn't commit that was in connection with an old nemesis of mine._

 _Somehow, I knew right from the start that he was different than all the other men I've met in my life._

 _At first, I honestly hated his guts because of how he lied to me at first. But then when I found out that she was deceiving him all this time, I had to save him. I wanted him to forget her for his own good._

 _When I took him in as my student, he was pretty hard to teach at first, but I somehow felt happy around him. Unlike most co-workers in law, I've gotten to know him not just as a student but as a friend._

 _He was clumsy. He's such a clumsy ox, that it almost made me sick to my stomach. However, I've gotten used to that side of him over time. I eventually came to accept that clumsiness and gullible personality as the thing that makes Phoenix Wright who he really is._

 _And then, I watched him perform in his first trial in court. He was being clumsy at first, and I thought it was going to turn into a disaster. However, I could see that he wanted to help his friend. I could see the desire in his eyes to do so. How he mimicked my court gimmicks, and shouted with the intensity that he does to make his case, it really reminded me of how I was when I first started in court. I was young and vigorous...and less clumsy than him. Ha!_

 _However, somewhere along the line, I realised that I fell for him. I don't know what it was... He was the closest friend I've had since Diego, but I was happier to be with Phoenix and more comfortable as well. I could tell Diego cared for me, but Phoenix also does, and he does so in a way that makes me feel right at home._

 _That's when I also realised, that he's made me laugh more than anybody. He makes me smile through his tendency on making me laugh, and it all comes back to his clumsiness. It makes him...cute._

 _Maybe one day, I'll tell him. However, just take care of Phoenix. Only say that part to him. Maybe one day, I'll ask for your help again so that I can let him know. This is something that he must hear from me. I don't know when that time will come, but one day, I'll tell him just how I really feel for him, whether he reciprocates for not._

 _...Take care, Maya...and Phoenix..._

 _I love you both._

 _Love,  
Mia Fey_

* * *

 **This Fanfiction is dedicated to my relationship with my significant other that just turned three years old today.**

 **I love you very much, and I hope you saw that a lot of my love was put into making this Fanfiction.**

 **Happy anniversary.**

 **With all my love,**

 _ **Kimmo Kimono Apple Pronger**_


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